23 October 2019
The NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines and the NWT Chamber of Commerce are pleased to have had the opportunity to provide an industry overview to members of the Northwest Territories 19th Legislative Assembly.
“This was an excellent opportunity to provide MLAs with in-depth details about the many challenges our industry faces as the largest private sector contributor to the territorial economy. We are concerned about the future of the industry and we want to work collaboratively with the 19th Legislative Assembly to get back on track,” said NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines President Gary Vivian.
“We want to ensure the minerals industry remains a strong part of the territory’s economy,” he added.
Key messages from the event include:
•Support junior explorers (companies that find new mines) and understand why there is no exploration investment
•Our environmental regulatory processes are robust, but the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act needs to be devolved and brought home to northerners so we can eliminate the complex and unpredictable uncertainty that drives investment away
•Evaluate the socio-economic benefits to the NWT and its communities before alienating lands
•Undertakings to provide critical infrastructure should include a partnership with Indigenous business development corporations
•The polytechnic institute being proposed for the North is critical in building capacity long-term for the mineral industry as well as the rest of the private sector
•The mineral resources cycle from grassroots exploration, through operations, to closure and reclamation presents many opportunities and it can be a renewable resource
•Mineral industry benefits are many, but impact benefit agreements are a thing of the past, as stakeholders seek to create partnerships between public and Indigenous governments, communities and the mineral industry
See the October 22 presentation and click here for the chambers’ letter to MLAs which highlights key points from the October 22 meeting.